For
my accessible date, I planned a day date with my friend, Anna. Anna and I have been great friends
since high school. Since birth,
Anna has been deaf. Her family and
good friends have learned sign language to communicate with Anna, which has
been wonderful. I know little sign
language, so as you can imagine, there is a communication barrier between
us. However, Anna’s spirit and
beautiful personality makes it a joy to spend time with her. I had never had a one-on-one date with
her, so I was really excited. My
eyes were opened, and we had a blast!
Anna
and I happened to be vacationing in Destin, Florida when we planned our day
out! It was the neatest
experience. The weather in Florida
is flawless during the fall, so we were anxious to spend some time
outside! We decided to go to The
Donut Hole for breakfast, the beach for a long walk, and my condo for a movie.
The
date started at The Donut Hole, which was very accessible! Parking was a little packed, but thankfully, they had a large parking lot. The doorway was plenty big and the initial space was very open! However, when we first walked in, I
noticed how busy and loud it was.
The noise wasn’t an issue for Anna, but the crowds were. Anna does not like others knowing about
her “disability”; she hates attention. I gave her a comforting smile and a hug, which she
appreciated. I asked our server to
seat us in a private corner of the restaurant, and Anna started acting herself
again. It was nice to have the control to chose where we sat; it changed everything! We were then able to really
enjoy the cozy and family-oriented environment of the restaurant. I know little
sign language, but Anna taught me more by pointing. We busted out laughing a few times because sign language
doesn’t exactly come natural. I
learned a lot though and really appreciate her patience with me! Anna showed me what she wanted to eat
and drink by pointing to her menu.
She chose orange juice and two chocolate chip waffles. It sounded so
good that I had to get the same thing! There was a little bit of awkwardness
when I ordered for the two of us, but as time went on, the waitress became
aware of the situation. I realized how little control she had in that situation, but she handled it well! The rest
of the time at The Donut Hole consisted of eating, laughing, and Anna teaching
me more sign language. We even
took some donuts to go! It was a blessed time and enjoyable for the both of us!
After The Donut Hole, we ventured to the beach.
Who doesn’t love the beach, right?
The beach isn’t too busy this time of year, which was perfect! I really
wish that Anna could have heard the waves crashing, the birds chirping, and the
children laughing. I never knew
how much I took my hearing for granted.
Anna didn’t seem to care though! She was overjoyed by our beach
experience. We took a brisk walk
along the shore. Conversation was
light because we were taking in our surroundings. I showed her how to build a sand castle, which I did by
physically showing her. Sometimes
I try talking to her and I realize, “Wait, she can’t hear me…” Her humbleness
and pure joy really surprised me and made me appreciate my hearing so much more!
After
the beach, we ended our fun day with a movie. We watched a Halloween classic- “Hocus Pocus”. I’ve never been more thankful for subtitles
than in that moment. We were both
able to enjoy the movie because of this! We enjoyed the rest of our time on a comfortable couch while
eating our donuts. It was perfect. I’m so thankful
for this time we spent together!
It was eye opening in the sense that I don’t want to treat those with
disabilities different than anyone else.
My condo where we watched "Hocus Pocus"
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